Plug and socket



Dec. 4, 1962 Filed July 1, 1960 A. FRUH PLUG AND SOCKET cm Q 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Dec. 4, 1962 A. FRUH 3,067,400

PLUG AND SOCKET Filed July 1. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I'll INVENTOR A/m/f6H 3,067,408 PLUG AND SOCKET Albert Fruh, Saint-Quentin, France,assignor to Appareillage Eiectrique l-lazerneyer, Saint-Quentin, France,a corporation of France Filed July 1, 196b, Ser. No. 46,258

Claims priority, application Netherlands duly l, 1959 2 Qiairns. (Cl.339-%} The invention relates to a quick-break plug and socket, or" thegeneral type disclosed in French patent specification No. 1,163,325.

According to the invention the coupling clamp hitherto used in suchdevices is replaced by a more efi'icient construction. 4

The operation of the conventional coupling clamp is based on theelasticity of the limbs of this clamp, which involves requirementsdifficult to satisfy as regards the relation between the elasticity ofthe clamp and the shape of the coupling pin and the clamp itself.

The invention furnishes a coupling clamp which need not be elastic toensure its operation. The requisite locking and unlocking is achieved bya novel arrangement of components, an embodiment of which is shown byway of example in FIGURES 1-5 of the drawing.

FIGURE 1 shows the device in the position of rest, when the plug 9 isoutside the socket 3. An insulating carrier 1, and along with it thewhole of the movable section of the device, is kept in its position ofrest by a spring 2. The movable section comprises a number of contactsleeves 11, which are connected to terminals 13 via flexible or hingedconnectors 14. The carrier 1 comprises two lever members 3 and d, whichare adapted to pivot about pivots 3 and 6.

The socket 8 is provided with a control member 7, which serves tocontrol the position of the lever members 3 and 4.

When the plug 9 is introduced into the socket 8 (FIG- URE 2), the knob19 of the coupling pin of the plug 9 strikes against the member 3. Owingto the presence of the control member 7, however, lever member 3 cannotyield to the force exerted upon it.

When the plug 9 is pushed further into the socket, a new position shownin FIGURE 3 is reached after the movable section has been translated adistance designated by arrow 15. At this moment lever member 3 escapesfrom the control member 7, and thus also from the knob 10. Under theinfluence of the spring 2, which is now compressed, the movable section1 subsequently returns to its initial position, the sleeves 11 passingalong the various pins 12 of the plug 9 in the way shown in FIGURE 4. Bythis means electric connections are established between the sleeves 11and the pins 12, i.e. between the plug 9 and the socket 8.

In the operations performed up to this point lever member 4 has not yetplayed any part. This takes place now. The knob is locked by the member4 because of the position of member 4 relative to the member 7.

If the plug 9 is now pulled out, it will translate movable section 1,and the spring 2 is compressed, until it has In order to balance theforces exerted, it is advisable for the members 3 and 4 not to bearranged as shown in the drawing, but for two members 3 to be arrangedin one particular plane and two members 4 in another plane. It is alsopossible to arrange in one plane a member 3 to the left and a member 4to the right, and in another plane a member 3 to the right and a member4 to the left.

What I claim is:

1. A quick-break plug and socket, said plug having a coupling pin with aknob thereon, said socket comprising a stationary section, a movablesection and a spring, both sections being kept in a particular positionrelative to each other by said spring which spring causes the quickbreakbetween plug and socket both in coupling and decoupling the plug andsocket, said movable section of the socket including a coupling membercomprising at least one first and at least one second lever, said leversdefining a pair of pincers, one end of said pair being Opened to receivethe knob of the coupling pin when the movable section has beentranslated a predetermined distance with respect to the stationarysection, in which the rotation of the levers is controlled by a controlmember which is stationary with respect to the socket and placed betweenthe levers at the other end of the pair of levers, which control memberengages the levers in coupling and decoupling the plug and socket andprevents the rotation of the levers as long as the spring has not beenstressed sufficiently.

2. A quick-break plug and socket according to claim 1, wherein one ofthe levers is provided with a cam positioned to engage the knob whencoupling the plug and socket and wherein the other end of said one leveris provided with a cam, which in the position of rest of the movablesection extends a predetermined length corresponding to saidpredetermined distance, and wherein said second lever is provided with acam located at a certain distance from the end of said one lever forengaging the knob when decoupling the plug and socket and wherein theother end of said one lever is provided with a cam which, in theposition of rest of the movable section, ex tends from the controlmember a certain distance corresponding to said predetermined distance.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS621,574 Kinsey Mar. 21, 1899 2,863,200 Miller et al Dec. 9, 1958 FOREIGNPATENTS 25,335 Austria Aug. 10, 1906 47,195 Austria Mar. 27, 19111,163,325 France Apr. 21, 1958

